The Authors carried out a literature review on the effects of breastfeeding (BF) on women's health to provide an overview of existing evidence. Established knowledge includes the following: exclusive BF for the first six months in the absence of menstrual cycles is a very effective contraceptive method; there is evidence suggesting some protective effect on osteoporosis, breast cancer and cancer of the cervix; there is no evidence of association between BF and post partum depression: on the contrary, BF seems capable to improve self-esteem and to reduce anxiety; BF has a regulatory effect on body weight and does not represent a contraindication to physical exercise; BF does not cause hair loss. In conclusion, BF brings no harm and many benefits to women's health.
|Translated title of the contribution||Breastfeeding and women's health|
|Number of pages||9|
|Journal||Medico e Bambino|
|Publication status||Published - Feb 28 2003|
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health